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Free early learning for three and four year olds

Free early learning gives children the best start in life. Through learning and playing with other children in a safe and structured environment, they’ll have a head start when they start school.

What you are entitled to

Every three and four year old in England is entitled to 12.5 hours of free early learning per week, in nurseries, playgroups, pre-schools or at their childminders for 38 weeks of the year.

This will rise to 15 hours a week from 2010, delivered flexibly over a minimum of three days.

When your child qualifies for a free place

The table below shows when your child will become eligible for their free early learning place.

If your child is born between:

They are eligible for a free place from:

1 April and 31 August

1 September following their third birthday until statutory school age

1 September and 31 December

1 January following their third birthday until statutory school age

1 January and 31 March

 1 April following their third birthday until statutory school age

Extra financial help

If the free entitlement doesn’t cover your family’s needs - because, for example, of work commitments – you may be able to get financial help with the costs of extra childcare.

See 'Getting help with pre-school costs' to find out more.

Finding a free early years provider that suits you

There are a number of different types of early education setting which can offer the free entitlement:

  • day nurseries, private nursery schools, maintained nursery schools and nursery classes attached to primary schools
  • pre-schools and playgroups
  • primary school reception classes, where schools operate an early admission policy to admit four year olds
  • accredited childminders who are part of networks approved to deliver early education
  • Children's Centres

Although there's no guarantee of getting a place with a particular provider, your local authority should take your preference into account wherever possible.

There’s no voucher or grant involved - just check with your local Children’s Information Service (CIS) that the provider you want to use is registered to offer the entitlement. You can get the number of your local CIS by calling 0800 234 6346.

You can find out more about the different types of early years setting from ‘Early years: where your child can learn’.

Standards for free early education providers

All settings receiving government funding to provide free early education to three to five year olds must:

  • be included in the local authority Directory of Providers
  • help children progress towards the ‘early learning goals’ set out in the Foundation Stage
  • be inspected regularly by Ofsted

This means that your child will get a good quality early years education, regardless of which type of setting they attend.

What your child will learn

The Foundation Stage focuses on the distinct needs of children aged three to five.

See 'Early learning from three to five: what your child will learn' for more about the Foundation Stage.

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